Your Daily Crossroad
19
Jun '18
A Great Power
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Jun '18
And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. (Acts 4:33)
When the disciples were left alone as Jesus ascended into heaven, a new beginning was just around the corner. Jesus told them to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Promise. That Promise came on the day of Pentecost, a day that would change their lives forever. God’s Holy Spirit came upon them with sounds of a mighty wind that came from heaven, a demonstration of supernatural power. Tongues of fire were then dispersed on (“sat upon”) each person (Acts 2:1-4). This event made it very clear that something amazing and indescribable was taking place amongst these people. In the days that followed, this small group of believers came together in one accord, knowing that they had been given gifts from the Lord, and that they had been called to witness to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The first gift given involved “great power” as the apostles zealously told of their knowledge and personal experience of who Jesus Christ was and what He had done. The second gift, however, is one we sometimes take for granted but it is extremely crucial to the first one: “great grace.” They were not only granted power but also they were given great grace. Without grace, they could not go forth and do what they were called to do. The same is true for us today. We may have gifts, callings, knowledge, experience and all of the right answers, but without grace, we will not get very far in our service or our usefulness to God. Why? Because we will be taken out by our own thoughts and behaviors as human beings. We become too aware of our weaknesses and we try to overcome them in our own strength. We cannot control condemning thoughts of the enemy who tells us we are not worthy. We lose faith, hope and the eternal perspective because our focus shifts to ourselves. Grace, however, steps in and says that the Lord has granted us unmerited favor in His sight. He chose us. He loved us first. He called us to do His work. He gifted us for His purposes. Not of us, but of Him, by His grace.
Grace must accompany power in your life today. Grace must be connected to your faith. Take time today and look up verses on “grace.” Use your Bible concordance and spend some time reading about grace. Make a study of it and take your time, even over several days. Let the Lord minister to you through His Word. If you are suffering or struggling, you need to approach His throne of grace with boldness and receive His mercy today (Hebrews 4:16). And even though we are not worthy, the Lord still uses us by giving us the gifts and grace to minister for Him and by Him and in Him. You will be blessed!
I needed to be reminded of this today, so when I read this I wanted to share it in hopes that someone out there could be just as blessed by it as I was. I fail to remember at times how important it truly is for grace to accompany power in my own life, I deliberately try to offer grace to those around me from day to day and I do falter at times but I must admit I’ve failed to offer it up to myself day to day. Instead we are so quick to judge and criticize ourselves so harshly, when all God wants is for us to bring our faults and failures to Him with a humble heart and give it over to Him so we can then go forth and do as today’s devotion said, minister for Him and by Him and in Him.
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Isaiah 40:31
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Jun '18
Blessing in the Mess
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Jun '18
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)
I got myself into this mess, so I’d better get myself out, I sometimes find myself thinking. Although I believe in a God of grace, I’m still prone to act as if His help is available only when I deserve it.
God’s first encounter with Jacob is a beautiful illustration of how untrue this is.
Jacob had spent a lifetime trying to alter his destiny. He’d been born second at a time when firstborn sons typically received their father’s blessing—believed to guarantee future prosperity.
So Jacob decided to do whatever it would take to get his father’s blessing anyway. Eventually, he succeeded—through deceit—obtaining the blessing intended for his brother (Genesis 27:19–29).
But the price was a divided family, as Jacob fled from his furious brother (vv. 41–43). As night descended (28:11), Jacob must have felt as far from a life of blessing as ever.
But it was there, leaving behind a trail of deception, that Jacob met God. God showed him he didn’t need desperate schemes to be blessed; he already was. His destiny—a purpose far greater than material prosperity (v. 14)—was held securely by the One who would never leave him (v. 15).
It was a lesson Jacob would spend his whole life learning.
And so will we. No matter how many regrets we carry or how distant God seems, He is still there—gently guiding us out of our mess into His blessing.
Lord, so often we feel trapped by our mistakes, thinking there’s no future left for us. Remind us that you are the God of Jacob, the God who will never give up on Your purposes for us. Amen.
When I read this devotion I felt it needed to be shared. So often we allow the enemy to plant seeds of doubt and self defeat within us and we stay surrounded by the darkness but that’s not God’s plan for our lives, no matter who you are or what you have done, there is hope, there is light and you are never to far from God’s reach. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). God’s Grace is immeasurable, His Mercy is inexhaustible, His Peace is inexpressible. Always remember, In God’s garden of grace, even a broken tree can bear fruit. God never gives up on His love and purpose for our lives.
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Isaiah 41:10
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Jun '18
Interrupted Fellowship
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Jun '18
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)
The loud, sorrowful cry pierced the dark afternoon air. I imagine it drowning out the sound of mourning from friends and loved ones gathered at Jesus’s feet. It must have overwhelmed the moans of the dying criminals who flanked Jesus on both sides. And surely startled all who heard it.
“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” Jesus cried out in agony and in utter despondency as He hung on that cross of shame on Golgotha (Matthew 27:45–46).
“My God,” He said, “my God, why have you forsaken me?”
I cannot think of more heart-wrenching words. Since eternity, Jesus had been in perfect fellowship with God the Father. Together they had created the universe, had fashioned mankind in their image, and planned salvation. Never in the eons past had they not been in total fellowship with each other.
And now, as the anguish of the cross continued to bring devastating pain on Jesus—He for the first time lost the awareness of God’s presence as He carried the burden of the sins of the world.
It was the only way. Only through this time of interrupted fellowship could our salvation be provided for. And it was only because Jesus was willing to experience this sense of being forsaken on the cross that we humans can gain fellowship with God.
Thank You, Jesus, for experiencing such pain so we could be forgiven.
Jesus, we again stand in awe at Your sacrifice. We kneel in Your presence and with gratitude acknowledge what You did for us on the cross. Thank You for making it possible to have fellowship with the Father forever.
When I read this devotion it touched a cord deep down in my spirit. It caused me to reflect on all He sacrificed for you and I because He loves us more than we can even imagine. Willing to sacrifice perfect fellowship with The Father to provide salivation for you and I. What love! How great is our God!! But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Jeremiah 32:17
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Jun '18
The Secret of Peace
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Jun '18
Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. (2 Thessalonians 3:16)
Grace is a very special lady. One word comes to mind when I think of her: peace. The quiet and restful expression on her face has seldom changed in the six months I have known her, even though her husband was diagnosed with a rare disease and then hospitalized.
When I asked Grace the secret of her peace, she said, “It’s not a secret, it’s a person. It’s Jesus in me. There is no other way I can explain the quietness I feel in the midst of this storm.”
The secret of peace is our relationship to Jesus Christ. He is our peace. When Jesus is our Savior and Lord, and as we become more like Him, peace becomes real. Things like sickness, financial difficulties, or danger may be present, but peace reassures us that God holds our lives in His hands (Daniel 5:23), and we can trust that things will work together for good.
Have we experienced this peace that goes beyond logic and understanding? Do we have the inner confidence that God is in control? My wish for all of us today echoes the words of the apostle Paul: “Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace” And may we feel this peace “always by all means” (2 Thessalonians 3:16).
Dear Lord, please give us Your peace at all times and in every situation. Amen.
My prayer today is no matter what you may be facing, you can find the secret to true peace, just as Grace did, Jesus in you. After reading today’s devotion I feel it is with utmost importance we apply 2 Thessalonians 3:16 to our lives every single day. Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of Christ. To trust in Jesus is peace. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27).
Have a beautiful day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is James 1:17